Improvement in mail-bag catches



UNITE STATES;-

PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE H. CARVER AND ERNEST MUNGER, OF PLANO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAIL-BAG CATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194.577, dated August 28, 1877; application filed March 21, 1876.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that we, GEORGE H. CARVER and ERNEST A. MUNGER, of 'Plano, county of Kendall, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Catch ing Devices, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the device as supported upon the posts of an ordinary mail-car door. Fig. 2 shows our manner of constructing the trussed bar. Fig. 3 shows the device with the arms closed, and Figs. Land 5 are details.

The objects of our invention are to provide a device for catching mail-bags that, when placed in position, will perform said act without the attention of an attendant; to securely hold the bag until taken away by said attendant; to yield to the inertia of the bag, thus preventing any unnecessary shock to provide a convenient devicefor the rearrangement of the catcher to correspond with the direction in which the car is next to run.

A and A! are the car-door posts. B is the trussed bar, to which all of the working parts are attached, and forming a slot for the movement of the head D. G is the principal arm, and E the grasping 1 arm, operated by the curved lever F. G is the head, pivoted upon the pin P, in which E is hung. H is the handle by which the catcher is thrown into position, and so held by said handle springing into the notch in J, Fig. 5.

I and I, Fig. 1, are bearings upon the posts,

in which the journals L and L are placed. One or both boxes may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4, for the convenience of removal in reversing the catcher.

K is a pin inserted through the box I and post A, above the journal L, to prevent said journal from jarring out of place. M and M are lugs for securing the head D to the trussed bar B, allowing the same to slide upon the latter. N and O are elastic cushions, of rubber or other suitable materials, placed in the angle of the arm E and lever F, and in the end of the slot, between the members of the trussed bar, for preventing,

as much as possible, any shock from the impact of the working parts. E and F are joined at their angle by a pin, R.

The operation of our invention is as follows: The device is placed in position, as shown in Fig. 1, where it will be seen that the arm E is held in position by the lever F, which is held and guided by the pins 2 and 3. The device is pendent; but the depression of the handle H into the car and downward into the notch J upon the post A (shown in detail in Fig. 5) will throw the arm 0 outward and upward to a horizontal position for the reception of the mail-bag.

It will be seen that the device may be secured into its receiving position at any time convenient to the attendant, there to remain without further attention until after the reception of the bag.

The bag is suspended by the side of the track, within easy reach of the arm 0. The train being in motion in thedirection of the arrow at, Fig. 1, the arm 0 and head D will strike the bag and recoil in the direction of the arrow b, when the arm E will'b'e caused to close upon the bag between it and G by the curved lever F being drawn between the guide-pins 2 and 3, when the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 3. The elastic cushion N will allow the arm to adjust itself to bags of various bulk.

If the movement be reversed, the arm E will be thrown open for the removal of the bag, and in position for the reception of the succeeding one, as shown in Fig. 1.

When not in use the device may be brought to its pendent position of rest by springing the handle H out of the notch in J, Fig. 5, when its own gravity causes it to drop closely beside the car.

We do not confine ourselves to the form shown of constructing the trussed bar B. It may be a single bar, with the head so constructed as to slide upon it.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In mailbag catchers, the combination of bar B, forming a track for the sliding head D, a rigid arm, 0, secured to said head, 4. The combination of the arm E, lever F, and the pivoted arm E, substantially as and pins 2 and 3, or their equivalents, subshow ili b f b B stantially as specified.

2. he com ination 0 a er a sliding head, D, rigid arm 0, pivoted arn; E, and a:

lever, F, substantially as set forth. 7

3. The combination of the bar B, head D, Witnesses:

arms 0 E, lever F, and guides 2 3, substan- JOHN F. STEWARD,

tially as described. JOSEPH H. RUsHToN. 

